7 Jun 2012

Crown initials deal with Tamaki collective

1:07 pm on 7 June 2012

The Crown has signed a deed of settlement which will hand the ownership of 14 volcanic cones and some islands to a group of Auckland hapu and iwi.

However, one of the group has not signed the deal.

The initialling of the deal took place at the Auckland War Memorial Museum and was attended by the Minister for Treaty Negotiations and representatives of 12 of the group, known as the Tamaki Collective.

A spokesperson for the Minister says Ngai Tai ki Tamaki did not initial the deed because they need more time to read it.

If the deed is accepted by members of the iwi and hapu and passed into law, it will see maunga such as Mt Smart, Mt Eden and One Hill Tree, and islands in the Hauraki Gulf gifted back to the group.

The Crown will also contribute set-up costs of $400,000 for a co-governance body.